Shadows
by Death'sAngel18
Summary: Death is coming and Fell's Church is in the middle of it again.Elena, Bonnie, and Stefan all thought this was over after Klaus. But when a shocking secret of Damon's get out they are thrown into chaos once more. What has Damon been hiding since childhood?
1. Old Friends

**Shadows**

**Chapter One: Old Friends**

_**Author's Notes: So I'm rewriting this story because I was rereading it and saw how horribly written it was and I know I can do a lot better so I'm going to rewrite the whole story and hopefully after that update faster! **_

_**Takes place after they defeated Klaus but I'm ignoring the whole Elena, angel like and child mind thingy.**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Sara and James.**_

_**Warnings: Contains rape, self-harm, child abuse, and violence.**_

_**Summary:**_ _**Death is coming and Fell's Church is in the middle of it again. Elena, Bonnie, and Stefan all thought this was over after Klaus. But when a shocking secret of Damon's get out they are thrown into chaos once more. What has Damon been hiding since childhood?**_

**Damon's POV**

I sat outside the Boarding house on the steps of the porch as I waited for Stefan, Elena, and Bonnie to quit discussing the trip to Italy. I was bored out my mind, relaxing against the house. My dark sunglasses pulled over my eyes as I stared out into the yard.

Stefan and Elena were glued together as usual talking about things to pack and the little witch was sitting on the grass going over things she might need. It was only the four of us right now that Mutt had gone off to college and the scary girl, Meredith, went off with the Alaric guy to live happily ever. I was glad they were gone, they both irritated me.

Elena had somehow managed to convince me to stay here with them since they were leaving for Italy too. Stefan had wanted to take the girls on vacation and Elena pointed out she would love to see where we grew up.

My eyes drifted around the yard lazily, going over every detail in the yard full of plants, flowers, and trees. Squirrels raced up and down the trees and I amused myself for a few minutes wondering if Stefan would suddenly eat one.

A sudden feeling of dread overwhelmed me and I tensed up ready for an attack. My eyes roamed over the yard more thoroughly. Massive trees blocked us from view of the road so why did I still feel as if someone was watching us? Out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow race across the edge of my vision tauntingly and race right back out. That was a sign of someone wanting me to see them, like they were playing with me.

I got up suddenly in a fighting position, holding my ground and baring my fangs as I snarled into the air. My eyes darted everywhere and I saw Bonnie had the same uneasy expression as if she sensed someone out there.

"Damon?" I heard my brother call out my name faintly like from a distance but I ignored him, focusing all my senses locating the intruder.

I wasn't expecting the black blur of the intruder to come up from behind me and try to tackle me but I turned easily and knocked him down onto the ground. He was strong and smart I guessed as he pulled me down with him.

We wrestled on the ground like two wild animals. My fangs barred trying to get into a good position where I could rip the person's throat out when I was suddenly jabbed just in between my ribs sending waves of nauseating pain through me.

That was my weak spot, but how did this person know that? I was suddenly pinned to the ground as laughter swirled around me. I got ready to lunge up at him and tear his head off when I suddenly recognized that laughter.

"James?" I ask confused and sure enough up above me was my best friend. He grinned down at me wickedly his waves of light brown hair falling down and tickling my face, an amused glint in those ocean blue eyes of his.

"The one and only." He announced proudly. I rolled my eyes and pushed him off me and got up, straightening my leather jacket and sunglasses.

"If you ever do that again, I'll tear your throat out." I told him in a sweet tone as I helped him off the ground.

Stefan cleared his throat behind us and I turned to see he was holding Bonnie and Elena behind him protectively still trying to assess whether or not if James was a threat.

"Calm down little brother, he's not threat. James this is my little brother Stefan and his humans, Bonnie and Elena. Stefan and company this is my old friend James." I introduced them smirking. Stefan started to relax and let Bonnie and Elena go as James kissed the girls hands and shook Stefan's. He froze after kissing Bonnie's hand though and I saw a smile spread across his lips.

"Ah, a witch. I'm a witch too, along with being a vampire, so I am more of a hybrid. Same for my sister, Sara." He told the blushing witch with an easy grin. I felt a pin prick of jealousy stab inside of me but I ignored it.

"And you must be the vegetarian brother Damon never stops whining about." James greeted Stefan with a smirk.

"Lies." I hissed turning my nose up at James playfully.

James noticed the weary look on Stefan's face. "Don't worry, my sisters a veggie too." He added.

"Where is Sara?" I asked looking around to see James's twin was nowhere to be seen.

"So glad you asked Damon." James answered smirking at me and as if on cue another black blur raced towards but instead of tackling me the blur tackled James to the ground, laughter filling the air.

"You were supposed to go for Damon!" James whined as he pushed Sara off. Sara stuck her tongue out at him and jumped at me trying to tackle me to the ground.

"See! He won't go down." She cried, pouting up at me. She had the same waves of light brown hair falling down to her waist and the same crystal clear eyes as James.

"Too bad." I teased and she let go and bounced over to Stefan, Bonnie, and Elena. She was like my little sister and James was of course my best friend. They were pretty much my family. I had lived with them a few years ago before coming here.

"Hey I'm Sara, the veggie." She greeted them smiling that bright smile that she always wore, except for when she was mad.

"So what do I owe this pleasant reunion?" I asked the grinning.

"We were just passing by and smelled your scent so we decided to come over and well, tackle you." Sara explained as she snatched the glasses off my face and tried them on.

I rolled my eyes at her and tried to snatch them back but she darted away from me. She turned back though the smile dropping off her face as she stared into my eyes. I tried to look away but to no avail.

"Your aura! It seems so much darker, foggier." She announced softly coming closer. I braced myself for her flaring temper knowing it was coming soon.

"You've been having visions again!" She accused, narrowing those ocean blue eyes into slits.

_**Review and tell me if you like the rewrite please and I'll update faster!**_


	2. Visions

**Shadows**

**Chapter Two: Visions**

_**Author's Notes: So I'm rewriting this story because I was rereading it and saw how horribly written it was and I know I can do a lot better so I'm going to rewrite the whole story and hopefully after that update faster! **_

_**Takes place after they defeated Klaus but I'm ignoring the whole Elena, angel like and child mind thingy.**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Sara and James.**_

_**Warnings: Contains rape, self-harm, child abuse, violence, and **__**language!**_

_**Summary:**_ _**Death is coming and Fell's Church is in the middle of it again. Elena, Bonnie, and Stefan all thought this was over after Klaus. But when a shocking secret of Damon's get out they are thrown into chaos once more. What has Damon been hiding since childhood?**_

_**Previous: **_"Your aura! It seems so much darker, foggier." She announced softly coming closer. I braced myself for her flaring temper knowing it was coming soon.

"You've been having visions again!" She accused, narrowing those ocean blue eyes into slits.

**Damon's POV**

I turned away, finally able to snatch the glasses off her face and cover my eyes again. My eyes always revealed my aura to her. Damn them.

"You are, aren't you?" She yelled in rage and slapped my arm hard. When Sara was angry her whole look changed. Instead of being the pixie she normally was, bouncy and bubbly her beautiful eyes were narrowed into slits, her whole person shouted in rage and if looks could kill you would be dead instantly.

"Visions?" Stefan asked us, cocking his head to the side like a curious puppy. Elena and Bonnie's eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.

"Of course, don't you know?" James asked Stefan and the others curiously. They only radiated more confusion after that. "Damon's like us, half witch and half vampire." He explained more, hoping they would catch on.

Bonnie and Elena's eyes widened as Stefan's narrowed and glared at me.

"Yes and he has _painful, deadly _visions that he is supposed to be blocking out so he doesn't DIE!" Sara jumped into the explanation, hitting me on the word die.

With another flare of anger she went on. "But nooooooo! He's apparently to damn lazy to save his own life! Maybe he just likes being in pain for days, weeks, or months!" She yelled in my face getting angrier with each passing second.

"What do they do to him?" Bonnie asked meekly, looking like a deer caught in headlights with her huge eyes full of fear. Scared she would have these horrible, painful visions I was cursed with.

Sara turned to the frightened little witch changing completely into the sweet mothering type. "Don't worry dear. You won't get his type of visions. He's a bit more powerful than the rest of us so he gets more deadly visions." Sara explained and turned back to me her anger boiling near the surface again.

It would almost be humorous, the way she talked to others and the way she talked to me, if she wasn't hitting me and spilling the secret I had kept from Stefan for years.

"Save the speech dear, I'm fine." I told her ruffling her hair with a glint of irritation in my eyes. I hated when she nagged me, mostly because I knew she was right.  
"You're fine?" She asked softly in a sweet tone. "You're fine." She repeated and I could see the rage simmering inside her eyes waiting to burst out again.

"YOU, DAMON SALVATORE, ARE FAR FROM FINE!" She screamed at me and I could finally see the worry and desperation behind all that anger. I hated worrying her.

"With headaches strong enough to make you black out, the thirst for blood escalating, the throbbing pain, the temporary moments of losing your eye sight, your powers getting out of control, your damn mood swings consisting of dark, cold, angry, and fucking suicidal, the symptom that you could possibly go insane, the memory loss, and let's not forget HOW YOU COULD FUCKING DIE! DOES THAT SOUND FINE TO YOU?" She asked me, listing off each side effect the visions gave me.

I winced slightly at the huge long list of pain I had to endure.

"Don't forget coughing out blood, his eyes bleeding, being sick for days, barely being able to move, and the amount of damage his powers put him through. Yeah, that sure sounds just dandy to me!" James added sarcastically.

I looked away wondering if I could escape before James had the chance to stop me. I could take him on easily and beat him, but that's only if I wanted to hurt or kill him and I did not want that.

Stefan, Elena, and Bonnie were gaping at me, probably shocked that the Great All Powerful Damon Salvatore has a weakness, actually a list of them.

"You're going to die?" Stefan asked me with wide eyes, innocent like a child as if he was first learning that people died.

"He could." Sara answered gruffly.

"But I won't." I snapped not looking at any of them, choosing to stare out into Ms. Flower's beautiful garden. She really lived up to her name with all the flowers.

"Just explain to me why you are not blocking them anymore Damon." Sara ordered in a weary tone looking exhausted after all the anger she had burned.

I shrugged lightly. "An ancient vampire rolled into town and Stefan went off to kill him alone so I had to step in and save his sorry ass and I ended up getting a huge ass branch in my chest and almost died until Elena descended from the heavens with all her spiritual stuff and well healed me. The brush with death though made the visions stronger, vivid, clearer, and not able to block out anymore." I explained staring at a flower the color of blood not wanting to see the look in Sara's eyes when I told her this.

"You. Almost. Died?" She asked in barely controlled rage.

I could see everyone flinch at her tone. Sara could be scary when she wanted to be.

"I had to save my brother." I whined glancing over at her.

"AND YOU COULDN'T HAVE CALLED JAMES AND ME TO COME AND HELP YOU?" She screamed at me.

I shrugged. "Too much pride." I answered with a smirk.

"Damon Salvatore if I didn't love you so god damn much I would _kill you right now!_" She told me in a huff of anger.

"I know." I responded grinning at her. Despite all of her anger a smile broke through.

Stefan cleared his throat and we looked over at him.

"As much as I love seeing Damon get hit and yelled at, what the hell is going on?" Stefan asked with a glare in my direction.

"You've seriously never told him?" James asked me, surprised at this.

I shrugged. "Never came up in conversation?" I teased in a strained voice. I didn't want Stefan to know, I promised myself I would never tell him.

Sara rolled her eyes at me and turned to face Stefan. "You and your brother are witches because your mother was a witch too. I guess your powers have been dormant since you never knew. But your mother got a chance to tell Damon before, well you know, she died." Sara explained uncomfortably shooting a worried glance at me. She knew I never liked to talk about her.

"I'm a witch." Stefan breathed out softly shooting me a curious glance. I nodded stiffly knowing there was no use denying it.

"Your powers may or may not be activated though. It's always hard to tell." James added with a sympathetic glance. Stefan nodded in understanding.

"So now that we got that sorted out what are we going to do about you dying?" Sara asked giving me an irritated look.

"You're really going to die?" Bonnie asked in a squeaky voice looking terrified.

"No. I did have a plan, believe it or not." I answered scowling at James and Sara.

"Really now?" James asked with raise eyebrows.

"Go visit the local witch tribe and see if they have a remedy for the visions." I answered triumphantly.

"Damon, we've already done that when we first learned what the visions were doing that you. There answer was blocking them out!" Sara argued looking scared again, fearing there was no cure now and I really would die.

"Yes but they may be able to block the visions completely. Or put some spell on them to calm them. Anything could work Sara, I really don't plan on dying from a damn vision." I explained wincing at the word visions. If I thought about them too much I could get sucked into them. I needed to wrap this conversation up fast.

"What kind of visions are they?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"He sees mostly about death and the future. Visions of people dying but most of them don't make any sense." James answered with a shrug.

"They do I just don't know how to interpret them." I hissed out already feeling signs of the vision coming on. The world started spinning rapidly around me and I had to focus on their voices or else they came out in a muffled, mumbled mess.

"And if you don't stop talking about them you'll send me into one." I managed to choke out as I felt my stomach churn and tighten into knots. My legs buckled beneath me and I felt myself sink to my knees as I closed my eyes feeling the vision overwhelm me, taking over my mind. Shoving image after image into my head in a nonstop babble of information. The experience was horrid.

I could hear their worried voices above me but I was not able to distinguish out any words.

I managed to choke out two more words as my mind spun into oblivion, pushed aside by the intruding vision. "Too late."

_**Hoped you liked it, review for more!**_


	3. Pain and Visions

**Shadows**

**Chapter Three: Pain and Shadows  
**

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Sara and James.**_

_**Warnings: Contains rape, self-harm, child abuse, violence, and **__**language!**_

_**Summary:**_ _**Death is coming and Fell's Church is in the middle of it again. Elena, Bonnie, and Stefan all thought this was over after Klaus. But when a shocking secret of Damon's get out they are thrown into chaos once more. What has Damon been hiding since childhood?**_

_**Author's Note: So the only reason I'm being merciful updating fast for all of you is because I'm hoping I'll get some more reviews (HINT HINT HINT) ^.^ because in the last version I had 43 reviews and right now I think I'm at 9 which totally kills the inside of me, so if you keep wanting these fast updates do something for me, REVIEW! Pleases and thank yous!**_

_**Previous: **_I could hear their worried voices above me but I was not able to distinguish out any words.

I managed to choke out two more words as my mind spun into oblivion, pushed aside by the intruding vision. "Too late."

**Bonnie's POV**

I watched in horror as Damon's head fell back, he was on his knees, shaking in either pain or fear I couldn't tell. Maybe it was both?

Suddenly his eyes turned from those dark prisms to blood red and as soon as I smelled the coppery scent floating in the air I knew his own blood had filled his eyes.

I looked over to the other in panic to see Sara was crying softly, being held by James and Elena was trying to hold Stefan back so he didn't go to Damon.

**Damon's POV  
**I shuddered as a wave of pain echoed through me and as a dark red liquid covered my eyes. My eyes were covered but I could still see. But what I was seeing was not the Boarding House's yard, my friend's scared faces, or even Ms. Flower's patch after patch of brilliant flowers.

I was staring into a mirror, my eyes blood shot and myself looking like hell. I couldn't tell where I was, I was just looking into this long mirror. A screeching noise filled my ears and I saw words being scratched into the mirror.

"Damon, can you tell us what you see?" A voice came to me though it sounded muffled as if I was underwater and someone from above the surface was speaking to me. I recognized the voice after a minute, it was Sara.

I tried to nod my head, feeling strange as I looked at my own reflection inside my head. I think I nodded, but I couldn't tell. All I could feel was an aching pain spreading through my body like a wild fire.

I tried to speak to tell them what was going on but I was memorized by the words being scratched into the mirror. I had to know what they said, I just had to know.

Soon it was all spelled out and I struggled to relay the message to the others.

"I-I'm standing in front of a mirror. Words scratched onto it, "I hold your secrets." I managed to choke out.

It took a while but then I heard James speak through that muffled underwater voice. "What secrets?"

I instantly knew the answer as the information crammed itself inside my head and forced me to speak it. "I can't tell you."

"Why?" Came Sara's angry tone.

"Because I don't know all of them." I managed to whimper out as the scenery changed around me and it felt as if I was tumbling down into the black abyss as everything changed.

I tried to rack my brain to figure out these secrets about myself that even I don't know. How could that even be possible?

Flashes of my father filled my head and a few pictures of smoke and mist intruded my mind.

Suddenly I was in a white room staring at a line of…me. These people all standing in a straight row, they were all me. Ebony dark locks, dark eyes, pale skin, all of them very handsome too.

But each of them were wearing some type of clothing from a different time, going all the way back to no clothes at all. I tried to figure out what these people were, why they all looked like me, and what the hell this was all supposed to mean to me.

I heard a muffled voice but this time I could not distinguish the words. I guessed they had asked me what I was seeing.

"There's a row of people, there all me. Different time periods, different clothes."

Everything changed again and I was falling into the void, nothing around me. The pain coursing through me was the only reminder that I was still real.

Soon I landed on a dirt lane. Ahead of me was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had long flowing red hair in waves down to her waist, the brightest smile you could ever find, a beautiful heart shaped face, and freckles scattered of her nose.

She looked exactly like Bonnie, my little bird, except older and sadder, with years of horrible experience behind those eyes.

From her aura I could already tell she was a witch and a vampire like me. She seemed centuries old, older than me by far but she was no threat. She was smiling sweetly as if she knew me.

In the back of my mind I felt an odd feeling and my stomach churned as a sense of familiarity slammed into my mind making me stagger on the dirt road.

"Jesse." She breathed out the name and suddenly everything was gone and I could see again. I was on the ground in the front yard, everyone huddled over me asking muted questions.

"A girl, she looked, looked like Bonnie." I choked out still feeling suffocated from the vision. I could feel lines of blood run down my face, most likely from my eyes.

"She was… a vampire…, witch. She called…. me Jesse." I explained through a few hacking coughs, doubled over in pain I spit blood out of my mouth feeling horrible.

My body ached in pain, my head was screaming in agony, my eyes were sore, and my mind was a jumbled mess. Just to add to all of that my whole body tensed as I saw a gray shadow drift in and out of my vision.

I looked around to find myself surrounded in shadows but no one else seemed to notice. They were faceless horrors, looking only like mist and puffs of smoke but I knew they were solid.

I watched as they descended there claws reaching out for me.

_**Yep, I definitely revised this chapter a lot! Really hoped you all liked it, please review and I promise to keep up with the fast reviews.**_


	4. Taking Over Me

**Shadows**

**Chapter Four: Taking Over Me**

**Damon's POV  
**Muffled voices flew into my head and out the next second. I could hear everyone screaming my name but I couldn't respond. I was frozen on the ground. Not moving or breathing I watched as the shadows drew closer and closer until they were circling around me. Suffocating me in a vast pool of grey.

Until all I could see was an endless abyss of grey.

I was staring at the nameless horrors from my childhood. The ones people told me weren't there. The ones that would hurt me. The ones that could take away your soul and steal your body.

It wasn't until I was much, much older and had already met Katherine, when I knew what they were and why I could see them.

But still I tried to ask everyone, forgetting that they couldn't see them.

"Can't you see them? They're everywhere!" I yelled at the muffled voices, trying to get them to understand. Only more muffled words.

I tried to get a hold of myself. I knew how to defend myself against them but every time I caught site of one it's like I fell back into the role of the little boy who would talk of shadow demons wanting his soul.

The little boy who cowered in the corner calling for help. The little boy who didn't know how to fight.

"Damon!" I heard one piercing scream of my name and I knew who it was instantly. Bonnie.

Something seemed to snap inside of me. A gate opened its door and I was flooded with a sense of déjà vu _**(forgive me if I spelled that wrong.) **_and a sense of familiarity.

I suddenly remembered what to do. I built up the power inside of me. Forming a huge ball of deadly power until the pressure was too much inside of me and it felt as if my ribs were cracking. I let it out, aimed specifically at the shadows.

With screams of anguish that sent shivers down my spine the shadows dispersed and lingered at the edge of the yard.

I looked around to see Stefan and Bonnie were kneeling down next to me, both holding onto me tightly.

I was about to tell them some witty remark like "back off," but I suddenly went blind again. Like the vision all over again but this time it was different. These were memories flooding through my head.

Not foreign pictures ad scenes I had never seen before. They were memories of me, flash backs of when I was little and could see the shadows.

"Damon, what did you see?" Sara's vice asked me calmly. I could hear the strain in her voice that signaled she was worried.

My mind was still hazy as if I was still stuck in a vision. I found myself opening my mouth as if someone was speaking through me and all the information I knew about the Shadows came spilling out.

"The Shadows. They're angry spirits of people who have died lonely, broken, and full of rage. They haunt the earth looking for people who can see them because when you can see them they can attack you and steal your soul and take your body. It keeps them warm and they'd do anything to take it." I explained feeling, possessed.

I could hear silence around me and through my blurry eyes I could barely make out everyone trading confused and shocked looks.

"The Shadows, I've heard that name before." Stefan muttered with a thoughtful look. Then something seemed to have clicked and he stared down at me with wide eyes. "You talked about them when we were little, remember Damon! You told me you could see evil spirits and that they wanted your soul and dad would always get so mad when you said it." He told me with an awed expression.

"I could see them and now I can see them again." I muttered bitterly trying to get a good look of the shadows that were circling the edge of the yard, waiting to move in again.

"Why can't anyone else see them?" Elena asked me curiously.

The answer spilled out of me. "Only supernatural beings that are still attached death can see them. Those that have near death experienced and are bonded to death can see them. That's how I get my painful visions, because I'm bonded to death."

I looked at Elena to see the confused look on her face and I had the urge to explain something to her and once again words came spilling out of my mind.

"You aren't bonded to death anymore, though you were a supernatural who was for a very short amount of time. To create the bond with death is very rare and hard to do. But when you came back, pure and innocent, any bond with death disappeared." She nodded as if I had answered the question in her confused expression.

She was probably wondering why she couldn't see them.

I had no control over my damn mouth. I just couldn't stop speaking!

"And why were you bonded to death when you were little! You never had a near death experience." Stefan asked me with furrowed eyebrows.

I cringed at the questions trying not to think about it. For once, and I was thankful, words did not come spilling out. Whatever force was compelling me to speak gave me a choice on this question.

I shook my head and looked away.

Sara seemed to see my distress and moved on. "A-and you can fight them? You stopped freaking out once you released that big ball of energy." She asked looking around as if she might see these invisible creatures.

"Yes, I can fight them either with my powers or they can be physically fought off in desperation. They are solid only to those who see them." I explained freely hoping the possession that had taken over my mouth was now gone.

I had hoped to soon.

"When they want to steal your soul and take your body they have to weaken you enough so you can't fight back with either physical or mental powers. It's hard to tell Shadows and regular people apart but there is one trait you can see. Once they take over your body and eat your soul your eye color changes to a dull, vacant grey color." I announced, the words leaking out with no off switch in sight.

"Because the eyes are the windows to the soul and when they steal your soul all you see is a grey nothingness to reflect your empty soul?" Bonnie asked, catching on.

I managed a nod, still feeling weak from that vision and using all my power on the Shadows.

From the edge of my vision I watched as the Shadows crept closer towards me. I didn't have enough power to ward them off again.

I turned to tell Sara and James but found my face was frozen, someone was holding it tightly. Claws digging into my face, cutting it open. Small lines of blood dribbled down my cheeks.

I was frozen in fear, not able to move or talk. I stared into the Shadow who had sneaked up behind me. It looked..hungry. No hungry was an understatement. There were no words to describe the experience, except for absolutely terrifying.

Not being able to move away just chained there waiting for the end.

Waiting to lose your soul.

Waiting for this horrid creature to take your everything.

Then suddenly a bright light overtook my eyes and I wasn't conscious anymore.

I was…I was…gone.

_**Hehehe, cliffhanger! Bet none of you guys who read the other version remember this part, probably because it didn't exist. See, new and exciting things in this version! Please review and tell me what you thought and so you can see what becomes of our Damon!**_


	5. Who Were You?

**Shadows**

Previous: I was frozen in fear, not able to move or talk. I stared into the Shadow who had sneaked up behind me. It looked..hungry. No hungry was an understatement. There were no words to describe the experience, except for absolutely terrifying.

Not being able to move away just chained there waiting for the end.

Waiting to lose your soul.

Waiting for this horrid creature to take your everything.

Then suddenly a bright light overtook my eyes and I wasn't conscious anymore.

I was…I was…gone.

**Chapter Five: Who Were You?**

**Bonnie's POV  
**I cried out when Damon's body slumped down to the ground and crashed limply. We all huddled around him, trying to get him to wake up.

Suddenly Damon's eyes snapped open and we all looked down checking for the same thing. Checking to make sure his eyes hadn't turned gray. Checking to make sure the Shadows hadn't taken his soul.

I let out a sigh of relief when I saw they weren't gray, as did everyone else. But still we all stared down at Damon with confused and awed looks. His eyes were no longer that deep, dark color. They were clear, brilliant blue and looked nothing like Damon's eyes.

"W-who are you?" I asked him, knowing something wasn't right. This wasn't Damon anymore.

Damon smiled at me, but an actually genuine smile. Not Damon's usual, "I'm-really-sexy-and-I'm-going-to-shove-it-in-your-face-while-I-figure-out-if-I-should-kill-you" smile.

"The question isn't "Who am I," it's "Who, were you." He told me, though he didn't sound like Damon. His voice was slightly higher, and had some accent in it I just couldn't place.

It was clear now that Damon had been possessed, but by who?

"Who were you?" I asked impatiently with an eye roll.

"Jeremiah Harper at your service my dear." He told me with a wink and a huge grin. "You must be wondering why I possessed Damon's body?" He mused with a small smile as he looked around at everyone.

He stopped at Stefan. "Hmm, his brother. I never had brother, no fair." he announced with a small pout.

Jeremiah sat up on the ground and cleared his throat. "I'm one of Damon's past lives. After I died he reincarnated into Damon Salvatore. I came back though because I have some very important information for y'all." Jeremiah explained and I instantly believed him.

He did seem like Damon, just slightly different.

"Past lives?" Elena whispered in awe.

"Yes, everyone has them. The life you had before this." Stefan told her still staring at Damon like he had sprung wings and was flapping around the yard singing love songs.

"What do you have to tell us, Jeremiah?" James asked seriously.

"My story. You see, all of Damon's past lives, whoever he was it was always the same story. We could see the Shadows at a young age, bonded to death and witches. Every single one of us and this is so because well there are some chosen people in the world meant to fight off evil and, us, we were chosen.

"Damon has a very special role in everything though, and yes that may seem confusing right now but I'm afraid I can't elaborate. Now back to my story. Well I lived a very simple life with almost the same background story to Damon. When I was young I was kicked in the head by a mule though and was bonded to death when I died for just a few minutes and came back to life.

"I didn't know what was happening, just that I could see these horrible demons. I told my townspeople and they thought I had gone mad and for a long time I did too. They locked me away in an old barn, chained to a chair saying I was working for the devil and I was evil.

"Since I was a witch, like all of Damon's past lives were, I could fight them off without having to move but they still messed with me.

"That's what they love, they can feed of your fear and I had lots to spare. I went crazy for quite a while until my sweet Maybelle, my best friend and the love of my life, came and snapped me right outta my crazy state." Jeremiah explained with a dreamy smile.

He turned to me and his smile grew bigger. "You look a lot like her miss," he told me sweetly. I blushed, smiling. I had never seen Damon look so nice and sweet. It was very, surreal.

"She was a witch too. When I told her about them she actually bonded herself to death with a spell. Of my lovely Maybelle. She gave up so much to fight with me.

But by then the Shadow's were getting stronger. With every soul and body they take they grow stronger.

"They made me see things and gave me a hallucination that the townspeople had burned my poor, sweet Maybelle alive. I was so grief stricken that I stopped fighting the Shadow's, like they planned and I let them take my soul and body. I gave in." Jeremiah explained and I could see the hatred like a storm cloud in those ocean blue eyes.

He looked away his face contorted into pure rage. "I would give anything to fight those bastards again." He muttered bitterly. He turned back and sighed deeply, sorrow drowning his eyes.

"But it's Damon's turn to fight. He is, the one." Jeremiah muttered as if he was talking to himself. He seemed to forget he was surrounded by a bunch of people.

"Jeremiah?" I asked hesitantly, tapping him on the shoulder.

He seemed to pull himself back together and just realized I was there.

Jeremiah looked around as if seeing something we didn't. Maybe the Shadows or maybe it was something else entirely.

"I have to go soon, they're calling me back to the Other side." Jeremiah whispered as he glanced around him.

"Wait Jeremiah! Since you're practically Damon, you know everything about him right? Can you tell us what goes in that twisted mind of his?" James asked with hopeful eyes.

Jeremiah's eyes softened and he laughed softly.

"I can tell you somethings, just enough so you can deal with him without being completely in the dark. He'll hate me for this but he has too many secrets in this dark little head of his!"

Jeremiah's eyes wondered around the yard as he tapped his chin softly. "Where to begin, where to begin? Well he acts the way he does to protect himself, so he can't get hurt, which in the end results all his feelings to be bottled up inside which hurts even more. But then again he has had a lot to deal with..." Jeremiah trailed off with a thoughtful look.

"Like what?" Sara asked confused.

"Well always having to deal with the Shadows when he was young for instance." He explained.

"Why could he see them when he was young. He never really told us." Stefan announced.

Jeremiah bit his lip as if wondering if he should tell or not. He looked away and glanced around the clearing as if someone might be watching. He turned back to us and he glanced down nervously at the floor, letting Damon's black hair fall in front of his face.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He told us so softly I had to strain to hear him. "Especially you." He added looking pointedly at Stefan with something like anger in his eyes. Angry at Stefan?

Stefan gave a blanched look and started to protest but I interrupted him.  
"We'll believe, there's not much we don't believe in these days." I told him gently resting my hand on his shoulder for a moment.

He looked up at me and I could see his eyes melt, he must still be thinking about how I looked like his Maybelle.

I blushed slightly at the lovesick look on Damon's face. I had never seen him look like that and seeing it directed at me was confidence boosting, even if it wasn't really Damon.

Jeremiah seemed to snap back into reality though with a pained look as if something was hurting him.

"Damon could see them when he was little because he was constantly being pushed on the brink of death...by his father." Jeremiah told us quickly in one quick breath waiting for the outburst.

Sure enough it came, Stefan yelling at him that it couldn't be true, Sara and James asking why, and Elena just gasping in a horrified manner.

"What do you mean?" I asked him after everyone was calmed down.

Jeremiah wouldn't look up at us, he was wringing his hands nervously as if this was hurting him. He took a few sharp breaths and looked up, tears in his eyes.

"Sorry, Damon's really fighting back against me. He really doesn't want you guys to know this." He explained softly. "It hurts him too much." He whispered in a detached voice.

He seemed to go back on track, probably winning the mental battle between him and Damon.

"His father beat him, hurt him real bad all the time after his mom died. He was always angry and drinking and mix that with the son he blamed for his wife's death and the results were never good." Jeremiah managed to get out looking away at the ground again. He looked up every once in a while, but never at Stefan.

Somehow I knew that was Damon's doing, not being able to let Jeremiah look into his eyes as he told him all this.

"Why would he blame Damon for her death?" Stefan asked looking pale and shaken. If I found five hundreds later that my father was a horrible person I'd look like that too.

"Damon was with her when she died. He was so young he didn't know what was happening, he didn't know what dying was. He just thought his mother was really tired and went to sleep. But when she wouldn't wake up after hours he went to find someone, but it was already too late." Jeremiah answered miserably.

"That's horrible." I gasped out, imagining poor Damon losing his mom, probably thinking it was his fault.

Stefan couldn't say anything, he was stunned speechless.

"That man did awful things to him after that, awful, terrible things no father should do to their son." Jeremiah whispered in an ashamed voice. I could see the streaks of tears falling from his blue eyes.

"What did he do?" James asked cautiously.

"Tortured him for days, messed with his head, always telling him he was a freak, always telling him he was a murder for letting his mother die, and t-touching him, molesting him, raping him." Jeremiah whispered brokenly, each word seeming like it stabbed into him, hurting him more and more each time.

Everything was silent after that. No one knew what to say.

The word raping was probably echoing throughout all of our minds.

We had all just learned what might be Damon's darkest secret. Something I doubt he had told anyone.

We had just heard that the great, indestructible, cold as winter Damon Salvatore for all his childhood was tortured and raped.

Jeremiah shook his head and took in a deep breathe like he was about to say more. How could there be more?

"So after a long torture session when Damon was struggling to stay alive he saw the Shadows. Once he got better they usually went away. He used to talk non stop about them, telling priests and even his father. No one believed him.

"Anyway, when Damon got older his magic started showing up and that's when his father figured out what his wife was and what his son was. Believe it or not, he got worse. He hurt Damon more, he tortured him relentlessly. He absolutely _hated _Damon.

"He never did anything to Stefan though because his powers never showed up so he thought Stefan was normal." Jeremiah went on solemnly.

I looked over to Stefan to see a storm raging in his green, oak leave eyes. A storm of rage, at Damon or his father, I don't know. He was staring off into the distance, with Elena trying to comfort him.

Sara was silently crying into James shoulder.

"I was amazed that he even pulled through, I don't think I would have the strength to have done that. I guess it was easier for him when Katherine showed up. She was the only one who believed him about the Shadow's. That is why he fell so in love with her."

"STOP!" Stefan's voice rang out sharply, causing almost everyone to flinch. Damon/Jeremiah stayed unchanged staring out into a distance as if Damon's memories were being rewound before his eyes.

"Just stop." Stefan added in a broken whisper, his eyes boring into the ground, his black hair falling over his stormy eyes. "How do I know you're not lying? My father was...he was a good man." Stefan growled out through gritted teeth but even I could tell he sounded uncertain.

Jeremiah turned Damon's sharp black eyes on Stefan and he drew closer like a wolf closing it on its hunt. Something in him had seemed to snap like Stefan's words had hit a nerve.

"Are you telling me you never noticed Stefan? Never saw the bruises that covered him, the scars? Never saw him bleeding or crying?" Jeremiah snarled and I watched as Stefan turned his head away fast as if he was trying to block out the words.

"You'd be lying." Jeremiah spit out. "I know you Stefan, I've watched you over the years. I could see the suspicion. I saw how you examined every cut, every bruise, every injury on Damon's body! I know you've asked Damon about them and I know you tried to help more then once, but that just wasn't enough Stefan! He suffered for years, all of his childhood! One little excuse and you were so easily convinced that nothing was wrong. A tiny lie and you just took his word and turned your back." Jeremiah spit out each accusation each more forcefully then last and with each word I watched Stefan's body go rigid.

Elena wrapped a comforting arm around him as Sara tried to pull Jeremiah back.

Jeremiah muttered a curse and turned away from us, scowling off into the distance.

"Do you know how he dealt with it all Stefan? Do you? Would you like to see what happened to your brother because you were to stubborn to look past your father's fake little lies?" Jeremiah asked in a bitter tone, his words as cold as ice.

He spun around ripping the sleeve of Damon's leather jacket up and exposing both of his arms for everyone to see.

White, pink, red.

Scars littered Damon's forearms and wrists, some jagged and long like tiger stripes running over his arms and some white lines running up each arms, placed in perfect order. Most of them were white with age, healing over and very old. But then there were some pink ones like they had been recent, months ago maybe. Then there were the red ones, the ones that haven't even healed yet.

The new ones that couldn't be days old.

Jeremiah's eyes were wild with rage as he shoved the horrific sight into Stefan's face.

"Self mutilation!" Jeremiah snarled the word as a curse, his eyes blazing with passion. "This is what your _brother,_ your own flesh and blood, did to himself because you weren't there for him! You could have stopped it Stefan! You could have helped him!" Jeremiah shouted into Stefan's face.

I thought Stefan was going to explode, or maybe he was going to break? It was either start yelling back or break down and start crying.

But either way, Jeremiah's words had gotten to him.

"I d-didn't know." Stefan whispered brokenly.

"You should have." Jeremiah accused. He turned his back on Stefan, looking out in the yard and up above into the sky. It had steadily grown darker, I hadn't even realized.

Clouds had overcast the sky, blocking out the sky and shining a silver light down upon everything.

I shivered whether it was because of the cold air or just because of the tense atmosphere.

"It doesn't matter now, I guess. That's in the past." Jeremiah gritted out in a forced tone. I could tell he didn't really mean those words.

"He'll need your help now. He's just going to get worse, the visions and the Shadows. The end is coming and we have to prepare for it. Damon plays a very big part in what is to come and you all will need to help him achieve this. When he wakes up he'll want to go to California, to go see my Maybelle, he'll find more answers there. Go with him and protect him." Jeremiah announced to us, looking through determined eyes. Examining us as if to see if we were good enough to guard Damon.

"What's the end? What's going to happen?" Elena asked fearfully, eyes brimming with tears.

A small smirk played across Jeremiah's face. "Where would be the fun in just telling you?"

He then snapped his attention to me, he came closer and placed his hands on my wrists, pulling me close in a tight grip.

"Don't hurt her!" Elena shrieked desperately.

He ignored her. He sure had gone a long way from the Jeremiah all happy talking about his Maybelle with those lovesick eyes. He looked way more like Damon now, ice cold eyes glaring into mine.

"You have to help him, you have to keep him safe. He won't be able to go on without a lifeline. He won't be able to handle it alone! Will you help him?" Jeremiah asked, all of sudden panic in his eyes.

He clutched deeper into my wrists and I winced in pain.

"Yes! Yes, Jeremiah, I'll help him." I reassured him with a flooding feeling of passion seeping into my chest. Dedication.

Looking at those blue pleading eyes I felt a surge of dedication. A wave of relief crashed through his blue prisms.

A burning pain shot through my arm and I saw him wince in pain as well. I tore myself from his grasp and looked down at my burning arms to see some kind of design twirling its way over my hands into my palms and down my wrists. It was a beautiful curvy design like ivy spread over my hands and wrists and soon the burning subsided into a pleasant tingle.

I looked down to see the same design had been sketched into his hand and wrist, running over the scars covering him.

I was about ask what he had done when suddenly he dropped to the ground, eyes closed.

I felt a scream rip from lips and heard everyone's panicked shouts as I dove down to him. I shook his shoulder hard and his eyes snapped open but instead of Jeremiah's blue eyes I was staring into Damon's dark endless eyes.

He was back in his own body.

He took an unnecessary gasp of breath and he shot up into a sitting position looking around wildly.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's all right Damon, you're okay!" I told him reassuringly with a small smile. He looked down onto my hand and saw the beautiful tattoo on my hand.

Then with a puzzled look he looked down at his own arms to see his sleeves pulled up exposing all of his scars and then same design carve into his own hand and wrist.

"What the hell?" He muttered looking at the design with curiosity. Then he seemed to notice everyone standing over him and he seemed to realize his jacket sleeve was pulled up exposing his scars.

He cursed in what seemed to be Italian and pulled down his sleeves fast as if this would make the information go away.

With brooding eyes he looked up at all of us, meeting my eyes and holding them still in puzzled confusion, then Elena's, James', and Sara's, and finally Stefan's.

Stefan was staring down at his brother as if he had seen him for the first time, anger clouding those green eyes.

Damon hastily dropped his eyes quickly as soon as they connected with Stefan's.

"Do you remember what happened?" Sara as lightly kneeling down next to me and Damon, smoothing back his hair gently as a mother would do to their distressed child.

"Yeah, the motherfucker told you. I was watching it all through my eyes." Damon muttered like a petulant child. Though I could see the fear in his eyes. Fear that we knew his secrets.

_**So tell me how you liked it! I definitely switched it up, with the whole Jeremiah hating Stefan thing and the tattoo on Damon and Bonnie. So is it better then the old version?**_


	6. I Need You

**Shadows**

Previous: Damon hastily dropped his eyes quickly as soon as they connected with Stefan's.

"Do you remember what happened?" Sara as lightly kneeling down next to me and Damon, smoothing back his hair gently as a mother would do to their distressed child.

"Yeah, the motherfucker told you. I was watching it all through my eyes." Damon muttered like a petulant child. Though I could see the fear in his eyes. Fear that we knew his secrets.

**Chapter Six: I Need You**

_**Author's Note: Very emotional chapter for the Salvatore brother's, sorry if it's a little OOC!**_

**Bonnie's Pov**

"We should get you inside, your still weak from the vision." Sara announced in a soft voice and with that James and Stefan helped Damon off the ground and helped him walk inside.

Ms. Flowers was waiting at the door for us with a glass of water for Damon and a cool cloth for his forehead. I smiled at her, grateful for the strange old woman.

Once we reached the stairs Stefan suddenly hoisted Damon up into his arms in a fireman's carry and carried him up the stairs, deaf to Damon's very loud protests.

We all followed behind, shrouded in the silence that had captured each of us. Are minds still revolving on this new insight to Damon we had been given by Jeremiah.

Stefan finally set the squirming Damon down on Stefan's bed in his room and we all gathered around the room watching as Sara flew around Damon like a small humming bird as she took care of him.

Making him drink the water, placing the cooling cloth on his head, and placing her hands on his forehead as she healed him using her own powers.

I was amazed out how advanced her powers were and excited when she said she could teach me soon.

"So now what, are we going to California like Jeremiah said?" Elena asked once color had returned to Damon's face and Sara had sat down next to her brother on the edge of the bed. Stefan hovered over by the window, staring off into space, anger in his eyes.

I was leaning against the wall with Elena.

"I don't need babysitters, I'll be fine by myself." Damon snapped in irritation.

"Sure, because your completely fine right now." James replied sarcastically.

Damon glared at him, huffed and turned away in a very Damon-like manner.

"Jeremiah said we should and I promised I would help,so I guess." I announced staring down at the tattoo engraved on my skin still wondering what it meant and why Jeremiah had given it to me.

"What was that with the whole tattoo business anyway?" Elena asked voicing my thoughts glancing down at the ivy on my pale skin.

I saw Sara glance nervously between Damon and I, as did everyone else and we simultaneously turned to face her.

"Well, I have a theory. With the whole "promise to help him" and the identical tattoos it looked kinda of like a bonding ritual. Like he bonded you two together, making sure you kept your promise to help him." Sara explained with an apologetic look as if it was her fault.

"Stupid meddling ghost." Damon muttered in the background as I examined the marks again. They were pretty at least and I kinda of liked them.

"So do you even know what we are going to be doing in California?" James asked Damon with a curious look.

Damon shrugged with an exhausted sigh. "You heard Jeremiah he said something about me wanting to find Maybelle."

"Didn't he say the townspeople burned her at the stake?" Sara asked.

"Maybe she had a kid?" Damon shot back with a shrug. "But there will be something there I have to see, I can feel it."

"Then California it is." Elena announced with finality, looking over to Stefan who was still staring out the window, detached from the conversation.

"We'll go hunt before we leave." Sara announced with a nervous look towards Elena and I that signaled she and her brother were both hungry and struggling to control themselves.

"We'll meet you back her in a couple of hours." James added as they both walked over to the door and left with a few farewells.

"Take me with you." Damon muttered sarcastically as he placed his hand on his probably still aching forehead, casting a glance over to the still angry Stefan.

Stefan turned to us and gave us both a look that clearly meant "please leave." With a few hurried good byes and a sad explanation that we needed to go get more stuff from my house Elena and I escaped the tension filled room with gratefulness.

**Damon's Pov**

"And then there were two." I announced with a sigh as I watched my little brother start to pace in front of the bed. My body ached as if I had gotten run over by a truck three thousand times.

My eyes burned and I was struggling to keep them open, not that I would tell anyone that. If Sara found out she would just go off again about how irresponsible and fucked up I was for letting myself getting pulled back into the visions.

Stefan glared at me with a fury I had rarely seen in his eyes which did not help my drastically darkening mood and that need to cut myself yelling at me from the back of my mind that was steadily growing bigger and bigger and harder to ignore.

I took a deep calm breath and closed my eyes for a second just resting in the calm trying to ease some of my powers out around me to help calm me down, not wanting to take too much and set them off into a fit like they usually did after a vision.

It took another slow breath because I would be damned if I started hyperventilating in front of my little brother.

I wrapped my hands in the blanket beneath me, curling my hands into a fist so I would not drag my nails along my skin, splitting it open in a moment of fresh pain. Normally I would use the wooden dagger safely tucked away in my back pocket so the pain would be immense and the scars would last.

I waited patiently for my brother to start speaking, knowing he would.

"500 years Damon, over five hundreds year you've been my brother. At one point in time we were close, even best friends." Stefan started off in a low dangerous tone that made me think of our father when he was about to hit me. Involuntarily I flinched, grateful that Stefan's back was turned and he didn't see that.

Suddenly he spun to face me his face and eyes wild with untamed anger, his fangs bared as he spoke.

"We're family Damon! How could you never tell me?"

"We've been in a feud for 500 years too little brother, when would I have time to tell you this?" I asked with a weary sigh, narrowing my eyes into slits as memories of the past were dragged up to the surface.

"When it was happening!" Stefan shouted.

"You were a little kid Stefan, how could I tell you the man you adored and loved so dearly was an evil bastard? What could you have done, huh, Stefan?" I asked my anger bubbling to the surface, the peace bubble I had built around me popped and I felt the heat in the room rise in reaction to my untamed powers.

Stefan barely noticed the change in temperature.

"I could have been there for you!" He yelled in my face and I could see the guilt clear in his eyes and I saw now where this anger had so violently come from. Jeremiah's words had caused this.

I suddenly felt my own guilt rise at what I was putting my little brother through, not that I would ever admit that. Damon Salvatore is not supposed to feel guilt.

"Stefan you were there for me." I tried to reassure him giving into the guilt for just a second so I could try to reason with him.

Stefan's eyes narrowed.

"If I were then none of that would have happened!" He snarled back, motioning to my now concealed arms.

I twitched slightly at the mention of my arms.

"He _mentally, physically, and sexually _abused you Damon! How could you not tell me any of this, do I mean that little to you?" Stefan yelled, hurt flashing in his eyes.

I flinched at each word, hating those words with all my might. I never thought about it and until now no one had ever known so I usually just pushed it to the back of my mind but having it dragged out of me and shoved in my face was so much worse.

I took another few breaths feeling my breathing quicken and the need to hurt myself grow stronger as a burning started in my chest.

"He _**raped **_you and you never said a damn thing." Stefan whispered this time without anger but with such sorrow I felt the guilt wash over me once again, adding onto the need to cut until I was clenching my hands so tight in the blankets beneath me I thought I would break every bone in my hand.

He looked down and notice this and with a saddened expression he sat beside me in the bed and unclenched my fingers that were twitching and shaking in need.

I felt like a drug addict, aching for his next fix.

"Why Damon, why didn't you ever tell me?" He asked softly this time, pain reflecting in his eyes and my dead heart clenched in pain. A burning sensation flooded through me and I desperately wished I had enough strength to escape, but I knew I couldn't.

"My life, my business." I tried to answer in the coldest voice I could manage but it seemed to come out weaker then I imagined and by saying it I had never felt more..._alone_.

I took another breath trying to steady my reserve finding that my mask I had worked so hard to build was about to crumble down, and in front of _Stefan._

I ached for the calming gesture of my wooden knife sliding across my skin like a new born vampire ached for fresh blood.

It was a need as powerful as breathing was to humans.

Stefan narrowed his eyes in a 'if-you-don't-answer-me-I'll-rip-your-tongue-out' way.

I sighed deeply knowing he wouldn't let this subject rest.

"If I would have told you what he was doing to me he would've dragged you into it too. That was our deal, he could do whatever he wanted to me and I couldn't put up a fight if he left you alone and after it wall over and he was gone and we were vampires I made myself forget about it, so the last thing I was going to do was tell you all about it, okay?" I snapped out the answer as if I was irritated with him while I was shaking inside.

I watched his eyes go big. "You were protecting me." He announced with awe and wonder.

"Always have always will, little brother." I replied casually though my words were as meaningful as they came. "Because I'll be the only the one to hurt and kill you." I added with a casual smirk in his direction.

He rolled his green eyes at me with a grin on his lips.

"Sure." He drawled out sarcastically as if it was a ridiculous idea that I would ever hurt or kill him, clearly his memory was going. Or maybe he just had an insane amount of trust in me.

Both foolish qualities I could expect from my idiotic little brother.

I looked at him to see he was staring at my covered arms, still holding onto my shaking hands, something I would love to make a sarcastic comment on but I held it back as I waited to see what he was going to do.

He took my sleeves and rolled them up and gently he traced over every scar and...I let him. It was strange, even surreal as I watched my little brother stare at the secret I had kept from him for so long. The secret I had wanted to tell him so badly when we were younger.

The secret that had been tearing me apart from the inside.

I stared for a long time at my little brother, watching as his fingers curved over each scar, watching his eyes portray a deep sorrow.

This was just as I had imagined it when I was younger. I would tell Stefan, I would show him the scars and cuts and he would understand and help me, just be there for me and then maybe I would be able to get through everything.

I never did have enough courage to show him though. He looked up to me, how could I let him down like that?

So I suffered alone, all those years.

But now, it was like a second chance and I felt all my long hard years of being the cold monster I am slip away and I fell back into the role as that scared little boy, terrified of the monster hurting him, desperate for any kind of comfort he could get.

Though I would never admit it a tear escaped my eye. It was caught as it rolled down my cheek by Stefan's finger and I met those sad eyes and I broke into pieces, my brother being the only thing holding me together.

Before I knew it I was wrapped in my brother's arms, held so tightly if we were human our backs would surely break.

500 years of a cold exterior broke away and I was no longer the cold Damon Salvatore most knew me as.

A tumble of "I'm sorry's' fell out of my mouth and an echoed chorus of "it's okay."

And that was how we fell asleep, wrapped in each others arms in a brotherly embrace, pulled so closely together like we were each protecting each other from the outside world.

For now it was just my brother and me.

_**Sorry it took so long for this update, I've been busy -.-**_

_**So review and tell me what you think!**_


	7. Walls

_**Shadows**_

_**Warnings: Contains sexual references to rape and incest in a father/son way, not very graphic scene but if this offends you and any way and you think this shouldn't be on a T rated fic instead of bitching to me later please don't read this chapter, thank you.**_

_**Author's Note: Thank you to all my reviewers, I really am loving the suggestions and ideas you are giving me! They really help, so if you have any more ideas/suggestions TELL ME! Sorry I take so long to update I'm really busy(cough cough lazy.) Review, it always helps me update faster!**_

_**Previous:**_A tumble of "I'm sorry's' fell out of my mouth and an echoed chorus of "it's okay."

And that was how we fell asleep, wrapped in each others arms in a brotherly embrace, pulled so closely together like we were each protecting each other from the outside world.

For now it was just my brother and me.

_**Chapter Seven: Walls **_

_**Damon's Pov**_

_Claws raking down my spine. Blood a cool relief raining down upon various cuts. Screams ripped from a dry throat. Tears escaping black prisms._

_Creatures made of mist swirled around me, like shadows on a wall. They were lightening fast, one second ten feet away and the next a faceless horror pressed up close to me, it's claws working its way into my flesh._

"_Help." Pitiful whimpers escaped my mouth followed close by shame._

"_No one here to save you now, **boy**." The snarl came from a familiar voice, one that sent more shivers down my spine then the creatures torturing me._

_This was the Shadow's doing. They always loved to plague my thoughts with delusions and memories of **him.**_

_Suddenly it wasn't only claws trailing down my naked flesh. _

_A cold touch, a bruising grip, a dark chuckle, and warm saliva on the back of my neck and I knew I was in hell. _

"_Damon." My name was drawn out in a long moan, **his **voice like a thousand nails on a chalkboard, screeching in my ears like a never ending song._

"_So pretty," a muffled voice spoke and then the real pain started. A burning sensation and my cries grew louder and a burning in my chest ached._

"DAMON!" A familiar voice pulled me back into reality and my eyes snapped open, shaking away the dream and I was left staring into my brother's worried face. He was hovering over me, lying down in the bed next to me.

The echoes of my father's voice still rang in my ears, the ghost of his touch sent a shiver down my spine as I tried desperately to forget that dream.

I was confused at first at the utter concern expressed on Stefan's features and his closeness until I remembered last night.

Shadows, all my secrets revealed, the brotherly scene that ended with us falling asleep in each others arms

"Sorry, nightmare." I mumbled shortly,

The door shot open and Bonnie and Elena raced in looking worried, Elena holding a large wooden spoon and Bonnie a butcher knife. Something that would be comical if I didn't feel so dirty, from memories of his wretched touch.

"We heard screaming." Came their simultaneous answer.

"It was just Damon having a nightmare," Stefan explained shortly looking down at me with examining eyes to see if I was really was okay.

"I was screaming?" I questioned trying to hide a mortified expression. I hadn't a nightmare that bad for a long time, it was probably due to the vision I had yesterday. My head was still pounding from it and my eyes still ached.

"Yeah, you wanna..er..talk about it?" He asked awkwardly, this whole brotherly love thing was new to him as well. Though he leaned forward and brushed a tear off my cheek that must have fallen during the horrid nightmare.

"Don't remember it." I answered icily, this isn't what I wanted. I didn't want to break all my walls down and act all warm and cuddly. I was still the same sadistic, cold Damon.

It hurt too much to open up.

I got up off the bed and without another word headed for the bathroom to take a shower, needing to wash away the memories of my father and the Shadows, leaving behind Stefan with a kicked puppy dog look in oak green eyes.

**Bonnie's Pov**

I watched Damon walk out, with the same confidence and cold manner he always had and I felt myself bristle in annoyance and before I knew what was happening I stormed out of the silent room and marched straight up to Damon in the hallway and stared him down, hands on my hips.

"Damon, why can't you just be nice for a change! Elena and I saw you two last night, it was the sweetest I thing I had ever seen in my life and then you wake up and your the same ass whole you are every day!" I shouted and his eyebrows rose. I bet no one like me had ever stood up to him like this.

"Well, I'm not buying it! I know there's some good guy buried deep inside of there, and I know there are things in your past that made you this way, but Stefan is willing to open up and forgive and forget and I'll be damned if you don't too!" I ranted on and on until I was out of breath and huffing and panting as I glared up at the eldest Salvatore.

First I saw the hurt wave across his eyes, it only came for a second but I saw it. I knew he regretted being so cold to his little brother. I could feel it radiating from inside of him.

Second I saw the anger, anger at being told off by someone half his size, half his weight, and surely half his power.

Then finally I saw...amusement. A low chuckled came from him and his eyes crinkled as a grin spread across his lips.

"Well someone has a fire in their belly, little bird!" He exclaimed and suddenly we were both laughing like we were best friends, the idea of little sweet Bonnie Bennet telling off bad, dark Damon Salvatore was just ridiculous, which is what made it so funny.

My laughter subsided and I wish I could keep this moment forever, this laughing **happy **Damon, forever.

"Please don't push us all away, we only want to help?" I begged him in a soft whisper.

The good mood was gone, the laughter had vanished and only tension filled the air around us.

"I don't need nor do I want your help." He spat and with that spun on his heel into the bathroom where he slammed the door shut.

I sighed and sank down next to the wall, head on my knees as I wished there was some way I could get through to him, make him open up. A determined passion filled me and I vowed to bring out the good side of Damon Salvatore, even if it killed me, which it probably would.

_**Sorry for such a short chapter, I'll try to get a more actiony chapter up soon! Reviews always help and suggestions/ideas are dearly wanted!**_


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